So, I think my three kids (9, 12, 14) are going to team up on a science fair project this year. Looks like they are going to build a Raspberry Pi with the appropriate sensors, strap it to a weather balloon (and a parachute) to try some high-altitude ballooning.
I think we're going to try to get 100,000 feet. Anyone done this? Any tips or tricks? We are in the info gathering phase right now.
Here's some inspiration
https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/pi-in-the-sky-2/
I have wanted to try this! Will you run APRS on it?
Here's some more inspiration. It's cool the whole way, but things get exciting at 2:49
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhOf1uXr-Ws
java230 wrote: I have wanted to try this! Will you run APRS on it?
What is that?
Can you tell we are in the info-gathering phase haha.
DrBoost wrote:java230 wrote: I have wanted to try this! Will you run APRS on it?What is that? Can you tell we are in the info-gathering phase haha.
Broadcasts weather and location data VIA Ham radio. Makes it easier to find once landed!
java230 wrote:DrBoost wrote:Broadcasts weather and location data VIA Ham radio. Makes it easier to find once landed!java230 wrote: I have wanted to try this! Will you run APRS on it?What is that? Can you tell we are in the info-gathering phase haha.
Ahhh. I was reading about that, but the info was from the U.K. they can't do that there, so it was just a mention. That is what I plan on doing. It seems like it's the most reliable way to find the unit after landing, right?
I was an advisor on a group doing it as a project, we threw a spot tracker on it as we had more equipment on it. They wont work over a certain altitude, but it reacquires when it gets below the threshold.
Ended up being the only thing that worked on it and they did find it afterwards.
In reply to DrBoost:
Thats what they were refereeing to as the "ISM" band transmitter. Yes easier to find, but still can be a challenge.
Take a peek at these
http://www.byonics.com/mt-rtg
This is cool. How far do they travel on a flight? Obviously, wind speed is a factor but I'm not sure how much that varies so far up. Do you need FAA approval?
One of my son’s friends did it and he successfully recovered his camera…we’re right on the California coast so high altitude wind direction is a must know. You’ve probably already learned that’ll need insulation and a heat source as the average temperature at 100K is -40
(Fun Fact: Celsius and Fahrenheit are the same @ -40).
I’d like to send up a big sheet of aerogel to see if I could capture some dust falling to earth…some very weird stuff has been reported.
Keith Tanner wrote: This is cool. How far do they travel on a flight? Obviously, wind speed is a factor but I'm not sure how much that varies so far up. Do you need FAA approval?
I was wondering that myself. The only thing I've read that has mentioned it was a guy in England. It traveled about 120 miles from A to B, but in the air it was back and forth. I bet it was closer to 400 miles of back-and-forth.
I see that as a challenge. I'm in Michigan. It's going to be hard to find a possible landing site that won't drop the payload on a building, in a tree, or a lake. We're thinking we'll be launching from the farmland of Southern Michigan in the hopes that we'll avoid lakes and buildings as much as possible.
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